Princess Monterey Whale Watching Cruises

The boat was comfortable and not overly crowded and the crew was helpful. We were very pleased to see two humpback whales on our outing. The only negative comment I have is about the extra cost to sit on the upper deck. This should have been noted before arriving at the destination and I also think it is rediculous to have that upcharge.

Very disappointing journey as we did not see a single whale across this several hours cold journey on the Pacific. Half of the tourists onboard got sea sick...

i have never seen so many people vomit from sea sickness. we saw 3 dolphins and some birds.

Was unable to reserve directly from the Princess. Had to go through you which costs more but no advantage. Restrictions all on my part none on yours. Slanted?

The crew was great, the trip started on time, and the boat was clean. Princess Monterey did everything right. The problem was that a very large number of people on the boat got sick and/or were clearly miserable. There were several people vomiting over the back of the boat, and in the heated cabin others were being comforted by companions, sleeping off the seasickness meds or carrying around full seasickness bags like they were party favors. I took a full dose of motion sickness meds before the trip and barely held it together. My son did also, but still got sick. The waves were just too big. It all may have been worth it if we had seen whales or anything else of great interest, but all we saw were birds and a few dolphins. One of the crew members announced that anyone who wanted a rain check to come another time could pick one up from the office, and a great laugh went up in the cabin. There were a few takers, however, so clearly some folks wanted to give it another shot.

I knew it wasn't whale season but was encouraged by brochure there were whales to be seen as well as other sea creatures. We saw pea soup fog and nothing else for the money we spent. If it is not whale migration season don't be suckered in!

This was our first time on a Whale watching boat. The boat ride was a bit like a roller coaster at first, which I thought was totally fun. It was cold, so if you go dress warm, a wind breaker is a must! We didn't see any whales but were given rain checks to go again! Even though we didn't see any whales this time, I highly recommend the ride!

We took an early morning cruise and were enthusiastic about the success rate of 99% reported in the pamphlet literature. We did manage to see a lot of seals and Risso dolphins playing in their natural habitat. The conditions on the sea were rough at first, so I would advise all patrons to adhere to the necessary guidelines of purchasing anti motion-sickness medication. My spouse and I were disappointed that on the date and time of our excursion that we did not see a whale or even a tail of a whale.

A waste of money and time. 1000 hours of navigation just to see 2 dolphins. No whales. DON'T DO IT!!!

Did not see any whales except for two killer whales. Over priced for the trip.

Although I was expecting to see humpbacks and blue whales this time of year, we saw Orcas. I understand it is rare to see Orcas, so it was a treat. The guides were good about looking for the signs and pointing them out. Plus, as we were heading back in, we saw 2 resurface, so stayed out a bit longer. I would suggest that you take Dramamine if even slightly prone to seasickness. There were a few queasy people on our boat, although I didn't think it was too choppy.

Very informative and friendly biologist on the trip. Great to see Orca's, just a pity the day we took the trip it was a bit rough. Remember to take something to prevent motion sickness whether you are prone to it or not. We had quite a few onboard that saw nothing. Definitely worthwhile to spend the extra and get upstairs.

Whale watching can be a great experience, but need some luck. I went for a whale watching, twice, and I was quite lucky. I saw some gray whales, which was amazing, and dolphins on the first tour and we saw two orcas on the second. Interestingly, the orcas, even though I was hoping to see some, appeared more like giant dolphins and did not give that "wow a whale" feeling to me. Nevertheless, I felt lucky to having seen whales on both trips. Both times we saw the whales shortly before we had to return to the harbor and therefor after something like 2 and a half hours of big waves, cold wind (even in early August) and a few seals at max. It was easy to imagine that there must be many tours without any sightings, at all. The morning tours are supposed to offer a higher chance for sightings, though. To make a long story short: I would recommend the tour to everybody who is fine with (just) a boat trip with a fair chance to see some whales. You should have a good meal, before you go or your stomach might decide to make you pay for the poor supply (happened to people on both of my trips). Take a warm, waterproof jacket, otherwise you might need to stay inside, which is probably not why you go for such a tour in the first place, and check in early, otherwise you don't have the option to sit on the upper deck which - I guess - helps to get a good view on the whales, in case there are any.

We have been on a number of whale wathiching crusises before, some really great and others not as exciting with respect to the number of whales we watched. However the Princess Monterey broke the record for the worst kind of whale watch WITH NO WHALE IN SIGHT. Us and a number of other tourists thought we should get a part of our money back. So, if you are thinking of using them...THINK TWICE or be ready to TROW YOUR TIME AND MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN.

Rough weather and probably lucky to go out. Saw humpback whale and informative talk given during the watch. All our group loved the expedition.